IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Manufacturing in the Inland Empire remained solid during April, according to data released Monday.
The region’s purchasing manage’s index last month was 52.3, up slightly compared with March, according to the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis at Cal State San Bernardino.
It was also the fourth consecutive month the index was above 50, which is the dividing line for whether the region’s manufacturing sector is expanding or contracting: 50 or above means it’s growing, below 50 it’s receding.
Three consecutive months in either direction to establish a trend, manufacturing in Riverside and San Bernardino counties is definitely expanding. This month’s numbers were no surprise to at least one local manufacturer.
“I think it reflects what we’re seeing in our business,” said Bud Weisbart, vice president of A&R Tarpaulins Inc. in Fontana. “I don’t like to get too excited by one micro-number, or read too much into it, but I think we’re definitely starting to see a more positive economic environment.”
A&R Tarpaulins – whose products are used mostly in the aerospace industry – could end up doing twice as much business this year as it did in 2015, if the rest of the year is similar to April, Weisbart said.
“I think one reason we’re starting to see improvement is that we’re seeing more cooperation in state and local government,” he said. “I really believe that. Wouldn’t it be nice if we saw that on the federal level?”
Production, new orders, inventory and employment all grew during April in the Inland Empire, although the pace of job growth did slow down. Seventy nine percent of the purchasing managers surveyed said they expect the local economy to improve or stay the same during the next three months.
Only 21 percent said they expect the local economy to get weaker during that time, according to the index.
